A common form of packaging for an article comprises a semi-rigid cardboard sheet sandwiched between two sheets of transparent plastics. The plastics sheets overlap the edges of the cardboard sheet and are provided at their overlapping regions with a number of moulded deformations which allow the two plastics sheets to be snap-fitted together about the cardboard sheet. The front plastics sheet is moulded to allow the article to be packaged to be contained between that front plastics sheet and the cardboard sheet. This type of packaging is often known as "bubble" packaging. Advantages of bubble packaging are that designs and text can be printed on the front of the cardboard sheet whilst the article remains visible through the front plastics sheet. By providing a hole through the top of the packaging, the packaged article can be easily mounted on a display rack.
A further advantage of bubble packaging is that, even after an article has been released by separating the two plastics sheets, the article can be easily re-packaged. However, this advantage can turn out to be a considerable disadvantage. It is known for unscrupulous traders to recycle used bubble packaging to sell fake articles. The use of legitimate packaging lends considerable authenticity to the fake articles.
Another commonly used form of packaging consists of a moulded transparent plastics sheet glued around its peripheral edge regions to a backing cardboard sheet. In contrast to bubble packaging, it is readily apparent whether or not such packaging has been opened as removal of the plastics sheet will tend to tear away some of the underlying cardboard. Unlike bubble packaging however, this type of packaging cannot be reused by a purchaser for a legitimate purpose, e.g. to safely re-store a purchased article. An aperture is often provided through an upper region of the backing sheet to allow the package to be hung on a display rack. However, even when the end of the rack is locked, it is not difficult to illegally remove the package by pulling the package and tearing the cardboard.
W097/05038 describes a package in which a moulded plastics box is held by a peripheral flange region between two glued together cardboard sheets. These sheets are provided with a fold line, and a pair of perforated seams which extend from the fold line to respective edges of the box. By bending the sheets about the fold line, the perforated seams can be broken and the box released. Whilst this design provides for relatively easy opening, it suffers from the same problem as the package described in the preceding paragraph, i.e. an aperture is provided through the cardboard and the package can be removed from a display rack by tearing the cardboard.